The Beauty in the Brute
by Starjargon
Summary: Belle is quite enchanted with her life in the castle, and now Gaston realizes he can't use his brawn to save her from the Beast, who will do anything good or bad to become human again. He'll just have to find a different approach to rescue Belle. Mostly one-sided Gaston/Belle; Belle/Beast. Based off a prompt on AO3.
1. The Beast Within

**A/N- Based off the prompt:**

_Prince Adam needed Belle to break the spell that enchantress had put on him and he'd do absolutely anything to become human again. Gaston is the go to man for various small tasks, who unintentionally comes off as overconfident. When Maurice approaches him to rescue his daughter, Gaston soon realizes that he'll need more than brute strength to return the girl to her family. Especially when that girl needs to be convinced that escaping with him - the one she constantly looks down on - is the only way she can leave the castle alive._

**Obviously this is an Alternate Universe. Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or any quotes found in this story. No infringement intended. No profit made from this work.  
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**Due to the nature of this piece, this is not the story you think you know...**

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It had started, as many of these stories do, once upon a time. Once upon a time, there was a very handsome young prince named Adam, who had everything his heart could desire, but no love in that heart. And though he was surrounded by faithful and kind servants, he was cold and very selfish. One very bitter, stormy evening, a haggard beggar woman came to his door, begging shelter for the night in exchange for a single rose, asking him to look inside himself for kindness and sympathy. Pushing aside his servants, he looked out and saw only her hideous features. Arrogant in his own appearance and possessions, he turned her away without compassion or mercy.

Still, she warned him not to be blinded by wealth or splendour, for true riches and beauty come from love and respect. When he turned her out again, her wretched appearance faded away, and she transformed into a beautiful young sorceress. He tried to plead with her, but it was too late, for she had seen the monster within. As penalty for his crime, she cast upon him a spell, replacing his beauty on the outside with the hideousness of his heart. To show how his choices affected others, she placed a powerful curse on the entire castle and all who lived within, giving him the enchanted rose. If he could learn unconditional love, and accept it in return from another before the last petal fell, the rose would reveal the true beauty of the beholder. If not, he would surely remain a beast forever.

Horrified by his monstrous form, he shut himself up in his castle, despairing and giving up all hope of finding this great love, for who could ever _truly_ love a beast?


	2. A Day in the Life

Gaston took aim at the flock, hitting his target and watching it as it fell to the ground. Lefou ran, seizing his prize and stuffing it into his bag.

"Wow, Gaston, you must be the greatest hunter ever!"

"I know," replied the tall, muscular man. He was never one for false modesty, and there was a room full of trophies to prove his point.

Lefou gathered the rest of the game, tugging it along behind him as they made their way back to town. Lefou ran to the butchers to sell the stuffed bag, while Gaston looked up and spotted Belle, his face instantly brightening when he saw her as she made her way out of the small village.

Head in a book again. He heard whispers as he passed the townspeople, marking her peculiar and unsocial, but admittedly very beautiful. He did his best to ignore them, instead trying to reach the woman who had stolen his heart. He kept losing her in the crowd, stopped by his many admirers and clients who wished to fawn over him and to beg a moment of his time. By the time he spotted Belle on the outskirts, he had committed to thirteen new projects before the week's end.

Not wishing to be further delayed from the beautiful woman walking away, he ended up climbing over rooftops, sliding down at the end and striding up to her, taking the book from her hands- a sure-fire way to initiate a conversation with the focused reader.

"What are you reading?" he asked, incredulous as he quickly ran through the book.

"It's called _La Belle et la Bête_. It's my favourite book."

"Why is it your favourite? Does that mean you've read it before?" He was still flipping through it, wondering what could be special about a storybook that made Belle love it.

"Yes, several times. Not that you would understand, monsieur. It has these daring sword fights, a magic spell, even a charming prince in disguise. It's extraordinary."

"How can you read this? There aren't any pictures," he stated in confusion, trying to piece together the story from the little he heard and saw, yet failing completely.

"Well, some people can use their imaginations," she responded pointedly, grabbing the book out of his hands.

"Huh." He didn't think he had ever read something so big, but he knew Belle was smart. That was one of the things he loved about her.

"Well, enough about charming princes from pretend books. You should consider spending time with a real man. Like me," he preened, thinking on his morning hunt and how surely she would've been impressed.

"Like you?" He missed her incredulous look, taking it as encouragement to continue his current proposal instead.

"Yes, Belle! You can come watch me chop all the wood the bakery will use next week, then admire me as I raise a booth for the fish merchant, and you can wipe my sweaty brow when I fill in for the blacksmith, then I'll even let you sit in the wagon I'm pulling to the seamstress' house this evening."

"You will?" He remained oblivious to her disgusted tone and expression.

"And then tonight, you can watch me drink the bartender under the table before you rub my tired feet!"

She turned away from him, which was obviously an invitation for him to follow her. "Gaston, you are not only primitive, you are abhorrent and repulsive."

"Why thank you, Belle!" he responded, delighted to hear her compliments, even if he didn't entirely understand them. "So, we'll just go gather your things and you can follow me around all day."

"Actually, Gaston, I have to go home and help my father."

"Yeah, maybe you should help that loony old man!" exclaimed Lefou, finally catching up to Belle and Gaston.

"Haha! Loony old man indeed!" bellowed Gaston, remembering some of the trouble her father's 'inventions' had caused in the past.

"Don't talk that way about my father!" defended an angry Belle.

"Exactly- don't talk that way about her father," scolded Gaston, hitting Lefou on the head for insulting his girl.

"My father's a genius! Someday he's going to invent something that will change this dull, dreary, insignificant little town!"

And with that, she stormed off, in the direction of the smoke he now saw pouring from the house in the distance.


	3. That Gaston Fellow

That evening, instead of going to the tavern as previously planned, Gaston made his way over to Belle's house.

"These flowers are as beautiful- no, can't ever be as beautiful as- Belle. You are as beautiful as me. And so I brought you these flowers to start off our relationship full of beauty-"

He continued practicing his speech, finally pausing by the small pond outside her cottage to preen and to imagine and to admire the picture he and Belle would make together once she agreed to be his.

Once he made his way up the garden path, he heard Belle and her father talking inside.

"That Gaston. He's certainly a handsome fellow."

"Yes, he most definitely is." Gaston's chest puffed out just a bit more at hearing Belle praise him as highly as he always praised her to others. "He's also rude, and so conceited and brainless and... and boorish. Oh, Papa, I could never- he's not the one for me."

He paused at hearing these words, halting his hand abruptly, not allowing his fist to knock on the door.

_Oh,_ he thought. He didn't know all the words she had just used, but he understood enough of them. Enough to know Belle didn't think he was good enough for her. Not yet.

He stood still outside her doorstep, wondering what he'd done wrong. Was there someone else? No, of course not, he was the most capable, most handsome, bravest man in town. Then he thought about her words again, trying to make sense of them.

_Rude. Conceited. Boorish. Brainless._ He tried to think of when he had been rude to her. Come to think of it, he hadn't told her how beautiful they both were today. Conceited- well, now that he reflected, he hadn't returned her compliments when she had told him he was primitive and repulsive, and he supposed he should have told her she was abhorrent too. Now, if only he could figure out what boorish meant. Maybe it meant he was boring. He would have to show her how daring he could be, and a display of his muscles and strength surely could not go amiss. As for brainless, well, he knew he wasn't as smart as her- no one he knew was. He blamed those books of hers. They gave her ideas, then she began... well, _thinking._ It didn't seem right for women to read. Or men, but they usually at least had their strength to get by.

He stayed outside her door a moment longer, debating whether or not to give her the flowers anyway.

Then, he thought about the last part of her conversation. That he wasn't the one for her. And his heart sank. Because she was the one for him. The only one. She was the best person he knew, and he deserved her just as much as she deserved him.

He was dejected as he made his way back into town, tossing the flowers on the table like the unworthy offering they were. It seemed more than he could bear.

Lefou came up to him and asked him what had happened. When he explained that he had been rejected and felt completely humiliated, the entire town within the warm tavern walls came together to cheer him up.

"No one is as large and in charge like Gaston."

"No one can end a fight quite like Gaston."

"No one else is as roguish and manly."

"It's true I am quite the impressive specimen," he conceded, his spirits lifting as everyone listed all his wonderful qualities to him.

"Every man here in town wants to be our Gaston."

"Oh what a great guy, Gaston!"

The townspeople's belief in him had done wonders for his self esteem, lifting it back up to the highest heights. Finally, his own brain began working, and he realized that was his problem with Belle. He hadn't impressed her enough yet. He smiled as he toasted once again, a plan in his head for tomorrow.


	4. Different Dreams

A week later he arrived at her house, larger than life. He dressed in his best red coat, his hair slicked back and his britches washed just as thoroughly as his face. Lefou held up a mirror to him, letting him preen at his perfect reflection, praising his magnificence. Gaston didn't disagree- he _had_ rather outdone himself.

Then he shooed him away as he raised himself up and confidently knocked on her door.

"Gaston," said Belle, with a hint of (pleasant, of course) surprise, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you to come with me, I have something very special I want to show you."

"Gaston, my father and I-"

"It won't take long," he said, grabbing her hand eagerly and pulling her out the door.

They made their way across town, passing many seemingly- empty businesses.

"What's going on?" she asked, obviously filled with anticipation.

"Just you wait, Belle- this is your lucky day."

He dragged her to the outskirts of the forest on the other side of the village, stopping in front of a large, half- isolated cottage.

He beamed, standing her in front of the cottage, his hands on his lapels as he merely stared proudly at her reaction.

"What is this place?" she asked suspiciously, wondering at his pride in the empty lodge.

"This is our home," he announced grandly at last, flinging both arms out to demonstrate the magnificence he had created.

"Our what?"

"Where all your dreams will come true."

"And you know my dreams?"

"Of course! Here's our rustic little house, where I'll come home after a long day's work to our little ones playing on the floor with the faithful hounds- all six or seven of them- sons, that is. And you, my little wife, cooking dinner before washing my sweaty, hairy back while admiring the tales of my latest feats."

"What?" He dragged her into the house, showing off this week's efforts.

"Gaston I- I don't know what to say."

"Ah! Speechless already! Excellent. Don't worry, Belle- I've arranged everything, of course. While I was building the lodge, the seamstress and tailor's wife arranged the wedding. Say you'll marry me and all this," once more he gestured to the walls around them in the trophy-laden dwelling, "will be yours."

"You _built this_?" she asked incredulously. Or impressed, he never could tell with her completely.

"But of course, Belle. Had to show you just what a capable man you were getting." He preened again, for her benefit this time.

"You expect me to just marry you?"

"Yes! The townspeople are right outside- almost everyone came to our wedding. There's even a band." He grinned brightly, quite pleased with himself that he had pulled all of this off.

"Before you even came and proposed to me?" He started to hear just an ounce of irritation in her voice. Poor girl wasn't used to getting swept off her feet. He'd change that.

"Why, yes Belle. From the first time I met you, I said to Lefou, "I'll have Belle as my-"

"You'll _have_ me?" she inquired, the irritation now unmistakable for anger. "I am not a trophy, monsieur! Nor am I a prize or an animal to be hunted and placed on a mantel. And I don't deserve to be treated like one, and I don't deserve you!"

"Don't worry- you don't have to do anything-"

"You built all of this so quickly just to make a point? What, that you're... strong? Tough? Manly?"

"I _am_ all those things," he reiterated proudly, flexing his muscles. Though, he was confused why she was looking at him like that. He'd proven his virility by building a cottage for them by hand. And he'd shown his providence by arranging her dream wedding. Yet still, she stormed out furiously, not even noticing the entire village awaiting the celebrations in back.

"What's wrong, Belle?" he queried, truly mystified by her baffling reactions to his grand gestures.

"You, Gaston! You did all of this, just to prove-" she sighed, then looked up at him, still annoyed yet with a small amount of pity as well, before explaining, "You can't just muscle your way into or out of everything you know. The world doesn't always work like that."

"How else does it work?" he wracked his brain, as best he could, for a situation where his strength and muscles hadn't worked in his favour, or hadn't fixed everything.

She didn't 't even bother stopping as she shook her head, storming away from the simple, provincial life he offered. "You have a mind, I'm sure. Use it."


	5. Not Always for the Best

**A/N- Whoo- I just realized how long I've kept you poor readers dangling! My deepest apologies~ Here's a short chapter, where things really start to veer away from the movie a bit, but this scene is essential to my ultimate plan. Don't worry, they'll get to the castle soon enough. Enjoy!**

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When he thanked everyone for their attendance and told them the wedding was off, the cobbler and his wife patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, cheering him up. The cobbler told him how he had to ask his bride three times before she finally agreed to marry him, and if Gaston truly believed Belle was the one for him, she was worth any effort he had to make to convince her of the same thing.

Encouraged, he once more made his way to Belle's cottage, where he overheard her sharing her dreams and frustrations with the animals she was currently tending.

"He actually called me a 'little wife!' Can't you just _see_ it? Madame Gaston! No sir- not for me! I'll not be caged to this small, boring life- I promise you that! All the great wide world out there- I want it and all the amazing that I could imagine. I want more than what they all have planned. I've dreamed so much bigger than just _this_. And," she continued, leading Philippe, her horse, to the small stream near her house, "I think it might be...wonderful to have someone accept and to truly understand me."

Gaston came up behind her, a small confident smile lighting his face as the sky suddenly burst with colour. He tentatively came up to her, standing beside her and watching as the sun began to set.

"I think I _do _understand you, Belle. And, I want us to have the greatest life either of us could imagine, or dream. That's why... I did what I did. I want you with me, always. You're such a beautiful woman. The best. Everything I deserve and perhaps even more," he assured her with an assertive nod of his head.

She toyed with the grass, finally looking up at him in irritation, yet not pushing him away, so he took this as a sign to sit next to her. She huffed, silently picking at a dandelion, before she turned to him at last, resignation and a long-suffering expression on her face.

"And why are you so convinced you deserve the best, Gaston?" Had he been able to understand her agitation better, he would have picked up on the slightly patronizing and annoyed tone she was using, fed up as she was of his pride and self-centred outlook on life. As it was, he took the question to heart.

"Doesn't everyone?" he answered plainly. "Whatever their best is- they deserve it. And you're mine."

"If I were _really_ yours, you would have recognized that I deserve more than this provincial life. I want... adventure. I want magic and fairy tales and..._ more_ than being confined to everyone's expectations. I feel suffocated under everyone else's ideas of how my life should be. I don't want- I promise you, monsieur, I'll not be anyone's _little_ _wife_, simply because they admire my beauty and expect dinner on the table every night, nothing extraordinary ever happening or changing. I don't want to settle for the same routine every day. I want a life far more exciting than even I could imagine."

He looked at her, _finally _realizing where he had gone wrong.

"I want the best for you, Belle. Truly. But I don't know any fairy tales or magic spells. This life is all I've ever known. I don't know what else you could want. We could live here forever. I'll be your big strong hunter and you'll be my quaint, beautiful homemaker. We'd have a charming lifetime together."

She looked at his profile again, huffing in resignation when she realized he simply couldn't understand, even as she saw his face scrunched up in concentration, doing his best to think. Then she sighed, deciding she needed to stop this before it went any farther.

"And that, Gaston, is why you're _not_ my best."

He looked up at that, his masculine pride wounded. His brow furrowed, and his jaw set stubbornly as he rose, decision firm in his mind.

"You're wrong about that, Belle. And I'm going to convince you that you are wrong. You'll see."

And with that declaration, he walked back to town, determined to think of a plan.


	6. No Beast or No Belle?

Gaston was excited when he made his way to Belle's house. He hadn't seen her in a while, but he figured she was busy with her father, and of course, pondering his proposal. Maybe she'd even been thinking about how right they could be together. The proud smile shone bright on his face as he hurried to tell her his news. However, when he arrived there, he saw her cottage was quite empty.

Making his way around, he looked in all the windows, noticing all the animals seemed to be in a state. He quickly located their feed, distributing it to each as quickly as possible, wondering slightly at their seeming abandonment. When he went back to the house, he decided to investigate, so he, tenderly, broke the door down. He could fix it later.

At first, it seemed like nothing was out of place, but wrong- as though they hadn't meant to leave. He glanced around for a bit, before his eyes fell to a piece of paper on the ground. It seemed to be a letter regarding an entry at a fair. Ah! Crazy old Maur- The... _genius_ who was Belle's father had obviously invented another gadget whatchamacallit to enter into a fair. Well, that explained the abandoned look of the place. He had probably forgotten to close up properly and to ask anyone to keep his small farm while they were away.

Gaston smiled to himself, happy to have found yet another way he could prove himself to Belle. He closed up the house, tidying up as best he knew how, and fixing the door back in its place. Then he patched the fence around the livestock, making sure everything was secure against predators. Undaunted by their absence, he went back into town, grinning as he imagined Belle's appreciation for his thoughtfulness. He could tell her the news when she got back.

Days passed, then a couple of weeks, and Gaston faithfully maintained his charge, thinking of how impressed Belle would be of him, and how his maintenance on her house would surely convince her of how capable he would be in their own. At the end of the first month, with still no sign of Belle or Maurice, he began to worry. Still, he assured himself, they'd come back. He was here, waiting for her, and was confident she would see how no one and nothing else could compare to the two of them together.

He went to the tavern, forgetting his worries amidst his friends and admirers. He confided in everyone the mystery of Belle's disappearance, and Lefou reassured him she was probably still off with her crazy father. The townspeople were all laughing and singing, losing themselves in merriment as they gathered together against the frost that had fallen upon the land.

They were just about to start their own makeshift dance sans a band, when the door banged open. And Maurice rushed in. Alone.

"Help! I need your help!" he screeched, running around anxiously as he grabbed everyone he saw. "Please, help me!" he begged, tugging on the arms of various patrons.

"Maurice?!" exclaimed Gaston, astonished that they were back and Belle hadn't come to find him yet.

"He's got her- she's locked in a dungeon. Please, you all have to help me!"

"Who's what?" asked the tailor.

"Belle- he's holding her prisoner! Come on, we've got to go get her!"

"Whoa- hold on there, Maurice. Who's holding Belle prisoner?"

"He's a beast! A monstrosity, a horrid terrible creature!"

"Who?"

"The Beast!" he repeated, lifting his arms in imitation.

The entire tavern collapsed into momentary silence, realizing he was describing a literal monster. Then, everyone burst out laughing.

"Ah- a large beast?" joked the ironsmith.

"Enormous!" he continued ranting.

"Does he have claws?"

"Like daggers!"

"And deadly fangs?"

"That can tear a tree trunk!"

"Is he ugly?"

"Indescribably so! Will you help me?" he asked, finally falling at the feet of a very amused Gaston.

"Of course, Maurice," he laughed, deciding to play into the old man's joke. "We'll go retrieve Belle from the indescribably ugly, enormous, deadly beast that's keeping her prisoner in his dungeon."

"You will?" he repeated hopefully.

"Sure! He's just outside," remarked the tanner, as he, a merchant, and the tailor all led Maurice out the door, chuckling once they shut it firmly behind him.

"That crazy old man!"

"Oh, that was just fun."

Gaston chuckled, thinking of the delusional inventor who'd just left. Then he sat by the fire quietly, pondering.

"Lefou!" he called his best friend over.

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking."

"Careful with that."

"I will," he assured him, "it's just that- that mad old coot is Belle's father."

"I know- too bad it's not all right up here," Lefou responded, twirling his finger around near his head.

"Well, that's just it. Wherever he came from, he left Belle behind."

"You don't actually believe...?"

"Of _course_ not," he replied with a smile, "but she's not here. Which... I think means... she's somewhere else."

"That's true!" exclaimed his friend in realization and agreement.

"Where?"

"What?"

"If she's not here, and she's not with Maurice, where is she?"

The townspeople had begun listening by this point, and now most of them began to wonder the same thing. They all sat at their tables, heads in their hands, and thought about it.

"I'm going to go after him," declared Gaston, when no answer had come forth. "We can't leave Belle's safety to that looney old man."

As he stood up, everyone mumbled their agreement, praising Gaston's bravery and intelligence, and agreeing with his assessment as they cheered him on to go find Belle.


	7. Mounting a Rescue

When Gaston found Maurice, he was dressed in a ridiculous get up: ordinary household products working as makeshift armour. He was leaving his small cottage, determined to rescue his daughter from "the beast" that apparently had her captive. Gaston stopped him, assuring him he would find Belle and bring her home safely. He shot Lefou a look that indicated he still believed Maurice was crazy, but he'd humour the old man for Belle's sake. He asked Maurice where he last saw Belle, figuring he could at least get an idea where to start his search.

Maurice claimed he went to the fair alone, getting lost in the woods when he came upon an impossible castle, full of enchantments and danger and a monster who imprisoned those who entered. Belle somehow found the castle and traded her freedom for his, and now he needed to go back and rescue her. Gaston was slightly worried at this, knowing Belle's selfless character would indeed lead her to sacrificing herself somehow, and if such fantastical things as Maurice described were actually possible, she would no doubt ask the creature to take her instead. He left Lefou on guard to stay with Maurice until Gaston could discover Belle's true whereabouts as he set out on his journey.

He took his trusty gun with him and went off into the forest, utilizing all his years of hunting in his search for his beloved Belle, hoping whatever her real situation was, he would find her in time to save her. He travelled for days, searching and scouting any clues to where she went, when one day he came upon Philippe, who was crazed and clearly frightened, whinnying and jerking every which way in panic. Once he was able to calm the beast down enough to approach him, he gently pet him, checking for any signs of injury or harm. Finding none and seeing the terror that nearly paralyzed the horse at the sound of a wolf's howl, he suddenly realized what had happened.

His Belle had indeed gone in search of her father, but the dangers of the forest had set her off course, and with no shelter or defence against the creatures that lurked in the woods nor aid against the frightened actions of her horse, she had been separated and cut off from any help or rescue. His heart ached at imagining the terror she must have gone through when she found herself alone, exposed to the elements, and utterly, utterly lost. He climbed up onto Philippe, shushing and soothing the scared animal against the noises of the dangers around them. Belle was not lost forever- he knew it deep in his bones.

After a few more days of searching, yet refusing to lose heart, he went down yet another path, angry at the forest that separated his beautiful Belle from the safety of his care and determined to defeat this worthy opponent. He was about to growl back at the wolves that dared threaten him in the shadows, raising his gun in defence, when he felt Philippe suddenly jerk to a stop, halting and pawing restlessly at the ground. Gaston, a fierce scowl on his face, turned to chastise the creature and stopped when he saw what had caused the animal to halt.

He gaped as he looked up at Crazy Old Maurice's castle, large and real and every bit as daunting as the old man had described it.

Gaston dismounted, leading Philippe by the harness closer to the gate in front of which they'd stopped, before pulling at it demanding entrance. When it refused to budge, he grabbed the iron in his fists and grunted as he bent it to his will. The gate swung open, the lock broken into pieces as Gaston led Philippe and marched menacingly toward the castle and whatever held Belle hostage.


	8. Settling into the Life

**A/N- POV change in this chapter.**

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Belle had truly begun to settle into life in an enchanted castle. When she first arrived, she had cried herself to sleep each night, believing she had doomed herself to this prison, a place where she had lost all hope and any dreams she'd ever had for a happily ever after. But, the servants were kind and anxious to please, and they treated her more as a guest than a prisoner. The Beast, though terrifyingly temperamental at first, had become quite liveable after the whole "running away/ west wing" incident. In fact, Belle would go so far as to call him... companionable at times, and she found herself less and less wary about spending the rest of her life here.

As the days wore on and she fought the occasional bout of claustrophobia and frustration, the Beast gently convinced her she simply needed to re-evaluate her situation. She lived in a _castle- _not a dungeon. Servants tended to her every need nearly before she could even voice it, and there were so many rooms to explore and manifestations of the enchantment that every day was extraordinarily different from the last. And she did have _all_ the grounds of the bewitched castle to satiate her natural curiosity. She'd even made a few friends in Mrs. Potts, Lumière, Chip, Cogsworth, and a few of the others who were quick with a smile and a helping hand.

And eventually, sensing a trace of wariness _still_ lingering about her, the Beast even gifted her an entire library- books upon books to consume, and all the free hours she wished to consume them. Belle was delighted to explore the worlds they offered, content to sit and read, even offering to share stories with the Beast. He generally declined, but he did ensure she would only be interrupted for meals, which he deman- no, _requested_ be shared with him. So captivated was she by the innumerable tomes at her disposal and the magic in the very air around her, eventually she stopped looking past the gates longingly to the world beyond.

After all, she realized as she curled up by the fire with her enchanted little audience as she prepared to read them another fairy tale, the Beast had been kind enough to give her anything she'd asked for. He never bothered her nor really requested anything of her but her presence at mealtime, when he often presented her a new gown or expensive gift when she mentioned missing her father or a part of her old life. He didn't lose his temper as frequently as before, and she had become accustomed to his fierce rage when he did. Perhaps the castle wasn't as bad as she'd first imagined, nor its master quite the terrible Beast she had previously seen.

She opened once more to the first page of her still-favourite book, becoming engrossed in its charm yet again and enjoyed a new, loose version of her own happily ever after.


	9. Brute Meets Beast

**A/N- First off, I want to apologize for just how long you've had to wait for this update! Try as I might, I couldn't get the ending to flow the way I wanted it to, so I sent it to someone to help me, and I halted any updated just in case I needed to adjust anything this far back. Fortunately, the lovely sylva_dax was able to make some _very_ useful suggestions, so the story you'll receive will be 100xs more satisfying than the original, odd-flowing ending. So, thank you for sticking with it, and I hope you won't have anymore ridiculously long breaks. In fact, I hope to update every few days- you've definitely waited long enough. ****  
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**With that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I warn you in advance, from here on out it truly deviates from the movie. Have fun!**

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Gaston made it all the way to the door, Phillipe backing away and whinnying in terror all the while. Leaving the horse behind and steadying his gun, Gaston rose up to his full height, stared at the barrier between him and his beloved, raised his fist, and pounded on the door.

After a few moments, the door swung open, and Gaston entered on high alert. His head whipped round as he watched the shadows, ready for whatever creature took his Belle. Suddenly, his eyes widened as the shadow of the Beast came into view. Anger immediately replaced any fear that had dared try to enter his heart.

"I've come for Belle," he stated confidently, refusing to look away from the monster's eyes, illuminated by the candelabra it seemed to be holding.

"Who sent you?"

"I sent me. I've come on behalf of Belle's father."

"I got rid of that old fool," the creature in the shadows growled dangerously.

"He's a genius," Gaston defended crazy old Maurice, refusing to let this... beast talk that way about Belle's father.

"He let his daughter take his place in a mysterious castle with a dangerous creature."

"If you think anyone could stop Belle from doing what she wants, you, _Monsieur_ have never met her," Gaston growled back.

The monster's eyes flashed in amusement, which was gone nearly the second it appeared.

"What are you planning on doing with that?" the creature asked darkly. Gaston looked down at the gun in his hands, realizing he had just invaded this beast's home, with a weapon. Any good hunter knew an animal was most dangerous when it felt cornered. He lowered the gun, still not relaxing his form as he met the creatures' eyes once more.

"Whatever it takes to rescue Belle," he replied at last. Then the hideous, monstrous Beast stepped out of the shadows, and it was only the knowledge that he could put up a fair contest that kept Gaston from shrinking away as most men would.

"Leave," Beast growled simply and threateningly.

Then the Beast, knowing he had won without even bothering with a fight, turned and began to walk away, Lumière discreetly clutched in his paw.

Gaston stared at the retreating figure of the monster, assessing his surroundings before taking a determined step forward.

"First, give me Belle."

"The girl stays."

"Then so do I." Gaston puffed himself up in the most unwavering stance he possessed.

Suddenly the Beast roared loudly, pouncing toward Gaston in a manner that would see lesser men drop dead. Gaston simply stood his ground, staring at him, angry, before raising the gun again and levelling it at the Beast, just as Lumière fled the room to fetch his guest.

"Belle. Now."

The Beast raised a fierce claw over his head, prepared to utterly destroy this intruder. Just then, Belle burst in, a gasp escaping her mouth, but neither one could be sure whether it was from the surprise at seeing the Beast so prepared to attack, or at the man so ready to fight back.

"Gaston?" she asked, incredulous.

"Let's go, Belle. I've come for you." He didn't take his eyes off the creature in front of him.

"Gaston, go home. Now," she said, standing in front of him and raising pacifying arms to try to get him to lower his gun.

"Of course. You and I will just walk out the door."

"I- I _just can't,_ Gaston," she moaned, her promise no longer the only thing keeping her in the castle.

"He won't touch you," he promised. He turned until he stepped back in front of Belle.

"Just leave, Monsieur," she commanded from behind him.

He reached out, still circling the Beast.

"I've come for you, and I'll keep you safe, Belle."

"I don't want to go!" she burst out at last. He turned to her in shock, his eyes wide even as he kept the gun raised. Then he pointed sceptically at the Beast, his face twisting in hurt and rage. What was she _thinking?!_

"You can't actually have feelings for this monster!"

"He's no monster, Gaston! But you know what you are? A brute!"

Gaston's fury blinded him, and he saw only the creature that stole his Belle's affections. He made a move toward the Beast, but Belle yelled at him in hopes to stop the inevitably deadly fight.

"Gaston, no!" she shouted, her hand outstretched as though to physically stop him.

The Beast roared again and picked him up by his collar before whispering discreetly in his ear, "Belle will _never_ leave this castle again." Then he tossed him out into the gloomy night.


	10. Leave Be the Gilded Cage

Gaston wiped the mud off his face, scowling as he looked back at the castle. That Beast had another thing coming if he truly believed a little roaring and some teeth were enough to scare off Gaston. Was that monster in love with her? No, not with the way he'd treated her- like she was his to keep and claim as some sort of... prize.

Gaston stood in the mist for a moment, dejected. With himself, more than anything. He sat on the cold damp ground and pondered as the wheels in his head began to turn, slowly.

That- that was once how he'd treated her, too. Not how he saw her, of course. Never how he'd seen her. But, that was why she had stormed off on him. His house- _their_ house. Their life together. He'd _told _her all the dreams that he had for them. And she had been waiting for him to ask her about her own. He'd been as horrible as the Beast who locked her up.

Well, he would just prove himself to her. And, then she would see how he really was and she would come with him on her own. How could she not? She could never _honestly_ want someone else when she had someone like him.

Determined, Gaston rose to his feet and marched to the gate, banging on it and demanding to see Belle. He raised himself up to what he knew was his impressive full stature, prepared for another brawl if that's what it would take to get his beloved away from this awful place. Instead of the Beast, however, Belle was the one who opened the door, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at him.

"I just wanted to ask you, monsieur, to assure my father I'm all right. And, to ask how he has been. Then, I'll thank you to leave."

"Oh," he fumbled anxiously, caught off guard by her question and slightly frightened of her temper. "Your father is fine. I left Lefou to take care of him and the house until you come home."

"This is my home now," she insisted, and he was surprised to see a small, stubborn-looking clock, wait, _clock?_ staring_? _at him from the floor, along with a very small, almost child-like teacup, each flanking her as if on guard. He shook his head in disbelief, then looked down again, his eyes widening as he realized the delusion was still there.

"It really is enchanted," he blurted, mouth agape as he took a moment to process. Then he took Belle's hand, trying to drag her out the door. "We need to go, Belle. You can't stay here."

"Oh, and why is that, Gaston?" She dug her heels in, refusing to leave the entry hall.

"Because, the village is your home. You belong with us, with your father and our town. You don't belong locked up here! He's dangerous, Belle."

"Not to me. Not anymore!" She ignored his attempted protest. "Besides, you'd rather I just go along with you, where instead I'll be trapped in that provincial, monotonous village, nothing exciting or magical ever happening?" While she glared at him, he did his very best to figure out what "monotonous" meant, eyes inadvertently raised to the sky and tongue out while he contemplated. Then she indicated the magical castle around them. "Look around you, Gaston- I'm living the greatest adventure I ever _dreamed_. Living here is like a fairytale, and every day I wake up to more surprises. _This_ is what I've always wanted, monsieur. Freedom and adventure."

"Freedom and adventure?!" he scoffed, well familiar with the form of a cage when he saw one. "If you're so free, come with me, just to the forest. Join me to assure your father that all of your dreams have come true. Then, you can come back here and live out your "happily ever after," _alone,_ with that creature. Or, you can leave with me for good and stop all this madness. Have the type of life you should have."

"I want more than that little town and those little people!" she insisted stubbornly, arms crossed and face set as she refused to even acknowledge her captivity or invisible chains. Gaston was just about to continue the argument with her, despite knowing he would lose, when suddenly, his head whipped up in hurt and surprise.

"They're not little people. Just because that is their life- that doesn't make them little people," he got out sadly, and a little shocked, his mouth opened and closed once, lips agape while his mind searched for a response. Finally, he steeled his jaw and stared at her with determined eyes. "I'll be back," he promised with a low growl of his own. "Every day, if I have to. Somehow, I'll convince you."

"What, you're going to muscle me out of here against my will? Who's the beast now?" Her tone was fierce and more than a little angry.

He simply shook his head, assuring her he would return the same time next week, and the one after that and the one after that. He wasn't a beast, but he wasn't too kind and gentle to not fight for her, even if this was a different type of fight to what he was used to. He loved her too much to simply let her go.


	11. I Only Used to Dream at Night

Every week he returned, and every week he tried to convince Belle to leave with him. When she insisted she was fine right where she was, they fell into the same familiar routine. Gaston wasn't entirely above using news of her father as a tactical advantage, so he promised her updates if she would talk to him first. Finally, she convinced the Beast (who Gaston suspected wanted to keep Belle under the illusion that she was happy there) to allow him to go as far as the front room, where they would converse in front of the fire. The only condition the Beast openly set was that one or more of his servants remain to alert him if the brute tried to take Belle away.

At first, she would tell him of new and exciting things that happened around the castle, and he listened intently, slowly becoming familiar with everyone who began to treat him as though he were one of their welcome guests. And, even though he was never able to convince her to leave with him, he still got those moments with her, hearing about her week, learning more about her- _listening_ to what she wanted and how she reacted. He also began familiarizing himself with the different enchanted staff of the castle and there were even times when he understood why she would want to stay. Then, there were those moments when the Beast joined them, and to avoid any confrontation between the two, Belle simply read to them, convincing the two men, who as a rule sat on opposite sides of the room, to close their eyes and _imagine_ the story she was telling. Gaston was still not very good at it, but he tried hard for her sake, tamping down any threats he had for the creature opposite him.

When the Beast inevitably stalked out, losing interest in hearing anymore "happily ever afters" that weren't his own, Gaston would turn and update Belle on what was happening in what he called "their own little piece of the real world." It was then he began with how her father was doing, informing her that Lefou had become quite the apprentice in her absence, and he always brought some sort of message from Maurice to his daughter, a plea to come home soon inexorably included. After a few weeks, Gaston began to skim over that part of the message, seeing the sadness it brought to her eyes at her inability to change her fate.

Then he began to tell her anecdotes about the town. He told her how the butcher's wife was expecting again, and how the baker's boy got into the bakery without supervision and used entirely too much yeast, and how the loaf grew until it filled nearly the whole oven, until it seemed to deflate altogether. Gaston, of course, was on hand to help clean up the mess the lad had made, clearing everything up just in time for the baker to get out enough loaves for lunchtime.

He noticed, of course, whenever he told her the stories of the village and its residents, she would politely smile and occasionally laugh, but never with any of the same interest she showed in her castle or even her books. He asked her about it one day when it was Mrs. Potts, not Belle, who asked him to finish relating the new squabble between the tailor and the cobbler.

"Why don't you care about these things, Belle?" he enquired, genuine curiosity flowing through him. He seemed her only link to the outside world, and yet she always seemed to brush that world off.

"I do, Gaston, I suppose. It's just- that little town, those little people- I never fit in there. They always thought I was so peculiar, and I know they always used to laugh about me and my father. Not only that," she stopped him as she watched him lean forward to deny it, "but I just don't understand why it's so important to you that I _try_ to belong there. With them. What's the point? I don't want their ordinary lives, and they don't want mine. So why does it matter?"

He'd learnt to choose his words more carefully with her, so he took a moment to reflect before answering.

"Because they're extraordinary. They have everything they could ever want and give each other whatever's needed- how can you avoid caring? I've known them my whole life. Yes, they do find your books and your father's... inventions strange, but if you ever needed it, they would all do anything to help you, because that's them."

"Tell that to my father," she replied, just a hint of bitterness underneath her tone.

Gaston sighed, realizing she simply didn't see them as he did.

"The thing about them is- It's like the end of _La Belle et la Bête, __where_ all the town comes together to help celebrate the wedding. That village is like that; they do things for each other and care about one another. Why, my own father worked hard his whole life, and got odd jobs where he could. It never left much time for education. But, we were never hungry. He always took care of his family, and that made him great. And none of those people are little, either," he insisted once more, hating her use of the word. Then he looked up to see Belle staring at him curiously. "What is it, Belle?"

"_La Belle et la Bête_\- how do you know the ending to that book?"

"Well, I read it," he finally confessed, pride in his voice as he shared the news he'd had for weeks.

"All of it?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, it did take a while. But, you said it was your favourite. That it was important to you," he leant forward, defending further the generosity of the townspeople she so quickly dismissed. "So I asked the librarian… he helped me, and the baker's wife, when she had time, and even the triplets who are always so generous. I know I'm not smart, like you. But I think you're so clever, and that's one of the things I've always admired about you, Belle."

She stared at him for a moment, speechless, before she finally questioned his seemingly long-term motivation for trying to woo her.

"Not just my beauty?" she challenged, remembering previous conversations where that was the reason he'd cited.

Gaston smiled, preening as he straightened his coat with a huff. "I'm not going to pretend you aren't as beautiful as me." He wouldn't let her be lured into false modesty either. "But no. There is more to you than that, Belle. So much more. I know that, and I know the others will too, someday."

"Gaston- that's very kind of you to say, but... I still haven't given up on hoping for my fairy tale."

"Have you given up on dreaming of something more?" he asked, startling her. She couldn't find an answer, so he continued his story about the tailor and cobbler.


	12. Golden Rule Shattered

The Beast, who'd spent the last hour or so pacing and growling just outside the room, finally had enough of this ridiculous man's stories and barged in irritably.

"ENOUGH!" he roared, silencing Belle and Gaston momentarily. "This is _my _castle. You don't get to come in here and fill Belle's head with all these questions and doubts and boring stories about your worthless little peasants." He huffed, pacing on all fours before throwing himself into a throne-like seat. He stared glumly at failing fire, missing the saddened expression of Mrs. Potts as she came up to him, pouring him a cup of tea. He picked it up gruffly, spitting it out almost as soon as it touched his lips, slamming the cup down onto his furry lap in a huff. "It's cold!" he groused angrily, shooting a somewhat confused and furious look at her.

"No, Sir, it's just not boiling like it was last time. Burnt your tongue, you poor thing. I've made sure it's still hot enough to be enjoyable, just drink up," she commanded in her soothing voice. He persisted staring at her warily, bringing it back up to his lips and continuing to mumble complaints as he slurped the hot beverage.

"Needs more sugar," he griped when he had finished, placing it back down on the tray when he was through.

"Now, I'll not be indulging that overly-sweet tooth of yours every day, love. It's not healthy. You should cut back- not on everything," she reassured him lightly as his head whipped round in a anger at her, a small snarl rumbling in his throat, "but just a little less every now and then won't do you any harm, Sir."

He actually pouted at that, looking up to Belle for sympathy before he noticed the fire losing some of its flame. He stood up, stalking toward it before he was stopped by Lumière.

"Don't worry, Sir. I'll tend to that," the small candelabra offered as he grabbed a poking stick, waving and blowing life back into the dying flame.

"Let me do it," the Beast argued impatiently, reaching for the poker. Lumière seemed determined in his task, hopping out of his reach quickly as he waved one arm at his master.

"Of course not, Master. Remember how singed your fur got the last time," the Beast began to growl lowly again at the reminder. "I assure you, I can take care of this, you just need to sit down and relax," he gestured toward the chair. It took Lumière a few minutes to get the fire burning with its original force, and he had to beckon over Cogsworth for help with the too-long metal stick, shooing away both Gaston and the Beast as they attempted to help the struggling, small enchanted creatures.

Once the fire was raging again, Lumière and Cogsworth both sat down heavily, panting and exhausted, leaning on one another dramatically. Of course, this caused them to accidentally nudge the flame-heated poker into contact with the rug, which quickly began to smolder like coal before the scowling Beast grabbed Mrs. Potts, emptying her contents onto the slowly-burning rug before shoving the clock, candelabra, and teakettle roughly out of his way as he stomped menacingly on the singed floor.

"Idiots!" he shouted, still stomping and chasing any sign of smoldering fabric, "lazy, incompetent, _stupid_-"

Gaston, after Belle had run and made sure the three servants were all right, stalked up toward the still-ranting Beast.

"Don't you talk about them that way!" he shouted, momentarily stunning the Beast with his outburst. "They were only trying to help and you shoved them aside like they were worthless! But you- you may seem big, and powerful, and perhaps even scary- but you know what your problem is, Beast? You hate what you don't understand- no matter how big you are, the mysterious and the unexplainable frightens you. And that makes you small. You think small and you act small- and you treat people as though they're inferior. But they're not. Even if you weren't a prince. Even if you weren't a beast- you'd still be a monster." He didn't even blink at the rising, threatening growl in the creature's throat as he continued, "You don't appreciate anything everyone here does for you. Not just because you're their master. But because they're kind and loving even though you don't deserve any of them. Especially Belle." He looked at the girl, who was still tending to Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Lumière. "If she stays here any longer, she'll become even more miserable!"

Eventually he registered the pure, unadulterated hatred that had entered the Beasts eyes, and he'd already begun his retreat when he heard the final, irreversible, ear-splitting command from the master of the castle, "Get oooooouuuuut!"


	13. Superficial

Everyone stayed quiet as the Beast paced menacingly back and forth, low growls grumbling through him. Then Mrs. Potts, Lumière, Cogsworth, and Chip began to clean up the mess on the floor. Belle stared off to the side, deep in reflection of Gaston's challenge and the subsequent confrontation, leaving the Beast to his own thoughts as he continued to stalk back and forth on all fours.

Finally, she heard him mumble.

"That fool. Doesn't even know what he's talking about. You're perfectly happy here. You have all of them," he indicated the group now attempting to fix the ruined rug, "you live in an enchanted castle. You lack nothing. You're happy, right?"

She looked up at him, then back down as she contemplated her situation.

"Yes, of course I am." Then her brow furrowed as she gazed up at him. "Beast?"

"Yes Belle?"

"What's my favourite book?"

He didn't even stop pacing, quickly throwing her a confused look.

"What? You have a library full of books. How are you supposed to choose a favourite?"

She took a moment to reflect on this, remembering the day he gifted her her library, and all the other wonderful experiences he'd introduced into her life. But suddenly that wasn't enough.

"I have one. What is it?"

He grunted, continuing his maddening pacing. Finally, she stood in front of him, arms to the side as she met his eyes, anger building within her.

"You don't even know. All this time- you never even paid attention. You're still so focused on yourself!" Her voice got louder and louder until she suddenly whispered in realization, "Gaston was right."

Unfortunately, the Beast heard her, and he snarled as stepped right up to her face.

"What does _he_ have that I don't?" his voice was angry and hurt, unbidden comparisons between his hideous features and the flawless ones of that idiot peasant coming to mind, and he braced himself to reign in his temper when Belle revealed her obvious love of the beautiful instead of what he was now.

"He's different," she said, unfazed by his ominous proximity. "He's brave. He's kind. And, he… sees beyond appearances." Then she met his stunned eyes, reaching out to cup his face, but he pulled away from her, turning as he stomped angrily out of the room.

"You promised to stay here. With _me._ Not some lumbering fool of muscle and perfection," he reminded her angrily as he stalked away, his servants and Belle looking sadly after him.

She simply stayed where she was, mind racing in sudden comprehension.


	14. Who is the Monster and Who is the Man?

A few weeks later, Gaston found himself banging on the doors to the castle again, the first return visit he'd made since the confrontation. He shouted loudly, saying he had urgent news for Belle about her father.

Belle rushed past the Beast, who had menacingly opened the door with a snarl, meeting Gaston's eyes with panic as she asked what happened to Maurice. She grabbed him by the collar before he was able to answer, pulling him into the castle as she gave the Beast a pleading look. He followed them into the front room, where Belle took Gaston's hands and begged him to explain things as quickly as possible.

"It's Monsier D'Arque," Gaston began, "from the Asylum de Loons. He heard about Maurice's ranting and raving about a Beast and an enchanted castle. He's threatening to take him."

Belle shook her head, shouting, "No! I don't believe you."

Gaston's angry glare did little to convince her he was telling the truth. She turned to the Beast, asking if there was some way- if he could send someone out to see what was happening. He went to a desk, pulling out a mirror and placing it in her hands.

"This will show you anything you ask it to."

Belle frantically asked to see her father, who was being dragged to a large wagon, a crowd surrounding him.

"He was enormous!" he was shouting. "Dangerous with claws and large teeth." The crowd around him was laughing at Maurice's antics, explaining to a protesting Lefou that he couldn't _get _much crazier.

"He may be a raving lunatic, but he'd never hurt anyone!" Lefou was defending him, running after the men dragging Maurice away, his protests seeming to have little effect.

"I'm sorry, Belle," Gaston offered, watching helplessly as Belle's only family was locked away. "It really is a shame."

"Gaston, you can clear this up! Stop this," Belle turned to him fearfully, holding out the mirror as though it were her most precious lifeline she was entrusting him with.

He thought frantically, ignoring the fact the Beast suddenly had some sort of mystical mirror that showed anything anyone wanted to see, and he realized that Belle was begging him to prove himself, to show that he could protect her and be the man she needed him to be.

"I might be able to fix this- to use my influence and get him out. But only if..." He gazed up at her as a brilliant idea took hold, breathing deeply and looking her in her eyes, reaching out and earnestly laying a hand on her arm.

"If what?" she asked desperately.

"If you marry me," he responded, ignoring the incredulous growl of the Beast behind him. "I could tell them we'd look after him, that he'd be cared for in our home. That they don't need to do this," he explained, more than pleased with himself for coming up with such a simple solution.

"How low can you stoop?" the Beast snarled at him, making Gaston and Belle both turn to him. "Threatening the girl's father unless she agrees to marry you? How convenient."

Belle turned to Gaston, a horrified look on her face as she wrenched her body away from him.

"Never!" she yelled, backing away toward the Beast as she clutched the mirror to her chest as though she could protect her father from what it showed. "Gaston- you really are a monster!"

Her chest heaved in anger and fear, and he stepped forward, arm outstretched as he tried to reassure her he had nothing to do with Maurice's fate.

"Belle, I swear-" he stopped at the warning growl from the Beast, "at least come with me, talk to them before he's-"

"Oh, yes, now you have another excuse to drag her away from this _dangerous_ place," the Beast taunted him, shielding Belle with his massive body. "Can't you see this is just a trick, Belle? Why now? Who told this D'Arque about your father? Who had him locked away so you couldn't go see him without marrying him first?"

Belle shook her head, a hurt and betrayed look on her face. Then, she grew angry.

"My father's not crazy! And if I have to go myself, I _will_ prove it," she warned through gritted teeth, eyes hard as they pierced through Gaston.

Then she turned pleadingly to the Beast.

"Please, Beast. I need to help my father. Can't you see he needs me?"

He gazed at her sympathetically, giving a small shake of his head.

"It's just a trick, Belle. Just a lie he's carrying on to get you to leave. I know you probably can't see that yet, but if you go now, you'll only be playing into his hands."

"But he's sick and in trouble, and he's all alone!"

"We'll force this... _brute_ out there first- make sure he fixes this mess. Then, of course you must go to him. He can even live here, with us. Where _those people_ can't hurt him anymore. You can trust me, Belle. I would never hurt anyone. Not like him." At this he gestured forcefully to Gaston, who was still trying to imagine how Maurice had suddenly gotten committed. He was going through all the villagers in his head, unable to find anyone so coldly cruel amongst them. The Beast caught him off guard with his statement, and he looked up in horror to see Belle's look of utter betrayal aimed at him and the gratitude she showed the Beast as she listened to his plan. Then she glared at Gaston before nodding in agreement with the Beast, handing him the mirror before turning and walking slowly, defeated, from the room.

Both men watched her go, Gaston still trying to figure out how to change the situation, to get Belle to see-

"I told you she was never leaving here. And now that that madman is finally out of the way where she has no chance of ever seeing him again, she has no reason to," the Beast spoke low enough for only Gaston to hear. Suddenly his eyes went wild, and he looked up in fury at the Beast, who had caught him off guard and already had him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him easily off the ground.

"Belle, it was him!" he tried to yell, but she purposely ignored him as she continued her dejected trudge away, "Belle, listen-"

"Now, this time, don't come back!" the Beast warned, tossing Gaston out into the night.


	15. Stopping the Beast

**A/N-Warning for intense fight scene in chapter (though author tried to remain conscious of rating).**

* * *

Gaston went round to the stables, mounting Philippe and racing back through the now-familiar path through the forest, reaching Belle's house in record time.

"It's true!" he yelled, shoving his way through the crowd, standing in front of the horses about to take the carriage with Maurice away. "Everything he claims is true. I've seen it. I've been there! Maurice really is a genius, not a madman!"

"What are you talking about, Gaston?" the baker asked.

"Show me the Beast," Gaston shouted at the mirror he'd stolen from the distracted monster, holding it up for everyone else to see every claim Maurice had made reflected back at them.

Everyone crowded around their beloved hunter, all trying to get a peek at the creature of nightmares.

"Is he dangerous?" the cobbler shouted.

"Yes," Gaston confirmed, nodding his head as he looked around at his friends, "especially now. He's got Belle trapped an confused and paid off D'Arque to send Maurice away for good. We've got to get her back!"

Everyone began to shout, demanding explanations, so Gaston spoke quickly and as charmingly as he ever had.

"She's developed feelings for him, and around her he seems kind and gentle and friendly, but really he's vicious, a monster who will do anything to get his way."

"Really, my friends, all this is just a misunderstanding," D'Arque attempted, seeing the crowd shift against him.

"If you're not with us you're with him," Gaston declared, the confidence and pride he'd begun to believe was a weakness shining through, automatically setting him as the leader in the fight for his beloved. With a mighty, united cry the townspeople overwhelmed the carriage, releasing Maurice from its confines as they drove the corrupt asylum-owner off.

"Now what?" they asked him, all grabbing the nearest makeshift weapon they could find.

"Now, we don't rest until we bring Belle back home!"

Everyone shouted their agreement, and the baker's wife and the triplets were put in charge of Maurice while everyone else prepared to do whatever it took to rescue their Belle.

"He's got massive teeth and claws. Who knows if he'll come after your children next? It's time to stop this threat! It's time... to stop the beast"

"Save us from the beast!" the wives and mothers shouted their agreement. The men of the village roared in their indignation, anger and fear and the overwhelming urge to protect and rescue coursing through their veins.

"We'll take whatever action necessary, just follow me," Gaston continued, leading them back through the woods, torches and "weapons" at the ready.

The castle was surprisingly quiet when they arrived, so he warned them to use caution.

"This isn't a scavenger hunt, this is a rescue. Maybe he'll let us take her peacefully, but if not-"

"We'll do what we need to save Belle!" one of the men offered, and all the others murmured their agreement.

The door opened too easily when Gaston tried it, so he advised the villagers to stay behind, his guard up as he entered ahead of them.

When he got to the front room, he was met with the sight of Belle in tears, the Beast staring straight ahead at the enchanted, nearly-bare rose on the table as she sobbed for her father.

"Belle," Gaston spoke quietly, soothingly to her. Her head whipped up, drying her eyes as she looked at him.

"I didn't- I never said got to say goodbye."

"I told you never to come back!" the Beast seethed, turning toward him, hackles raised and threatening growl emanating from his throat. Gaston continued addressing Belle, even as he and the Beast circled each other.

"It's okay now. Your father's going to be fine."

"Wha- What?"

"Seems Monsieur D'Arque was paid to take him away. By someone who wanted to make sure you had no reason to leave ever again."

Belle looked up at the furious Beast then, betrayal and fear in her eyes.

"Is- is it true? I thought... I thought after all our time together that somehow- you'd changed. But it was all just a lie!"

"What does it matter, you promised to stay with me forever!" the Beast bit out at her, eyes still fixed on Gaston.

"Is this really the life you wanted, Belle? All you have here, everything at your fingertips, except for your dreams. You may live in a castle, Belle, but you're still nothing more than a prisoner here. You might get everything you ever imagined, but is it worth losing the right _to_ imagine?"

She remained silent, swallowing as she watched the tense confrontation before her.

"She's happy here! I've given her everything," the Beast insisted.

"Except her freedom! If she's truly happy, she would be able to leave but choose to stay. But this- this life you've imprisoned her in- she's suffocating! If you loved her at all, you'd let her go wherever she wants to, even if that does mean she might never come back to you."

Belle still stayed quiet, lost in her thoughts and sadly realizing all her misconceptions.

The Beast, however, took her silence as loyalty to his conditions, and sneered, launching himself at Gaston. The two brawled ferociously for a while, determination and superior strength matched against love and experience. Finally, when the fight had travelled all the way outside, the Beast was able to get a tight grip on Gaston's neck, pulling him close as he derided him loudly.

"It's over, Gaston! Belle is mine!"

"NO- Belle is her own!"

Suddenly, just as the Beast was about to critically wound Gaston, the townspeople surrounded him, using their tools and makeshift weapons as clubs, coming at the Beast from all sides. He growled mightily, swinging blindly at everything he saw, batting away the weapons. The men shouted and refused to let up, acting as a mighty wall between the Beast and their Belle. The battle got more intense as suddenly they found enchanted creatures coming between the vicious monster and themselves, fighting just as unskilfully and passionately as the simple townsmen whom they were up against. The Beast _roared_ as his servants joined the fight, now attacking savagely at the villagers instead of simply swatting them away. Suddenly, when Gaston had once more gained the upper hand against his opponent and was pointing an arrow at the now-weary and severely wounded Beast, Belle shouted at him for mercy, halting the conflict on all sides.

"This creature doesn't deserve it!" Gaston argued, arrow still readied.

The Beast stared up at him, one eye swollen shut as he panted, a paw raised in supplication. Then, Gaston heard the low plea come from the Beast's mouth.

"Please. I'll do... anything."

Gaston glared down at the pitiful creature before him, then spit out his condition, "Release her," he commanded, pointing the arrow threateningly at the Beast's chest.

The Beast nodded, then said, "Belle is no longer my prisoner. She's free to go, if she wants."

The villagers all cheered, holding up their arms and stepping backing from the Beast, the creatures they were fighting still insistently surrounding him stubbornly, eyes boring into anyone who posed a threat to their master. Belle rushed over to the Beast, who was struggling to breath.

"You did give me so much here. A life straight out of a fairy tale. But... I forgot how what it was to dream of anything more. Anything else. I stopped imagining how my life could be different because I never thought I'd get the chance to see. And that's what I need- the freedom to keep dreaming, even if those dreams never come true." She cupped his face tenderly, tears falling in sympathy before she kissed him on the forehead, "Oh, but if you had just given me the chance- we could have been such great friends," then she rubbed his cheek soothingly, a look of regret on her face as she stood up and strode to Gaston and... her people, sparing the Beast one last glance as she left.


	16. Eye of the Beholder

Critically injured from the attack, Beast needed the help of his servants simply to make it back inside. They laid him down gently by the fire, his rose still on the table, and they all spared surreptitious glances at it as yet another petal fell. Lumière and Cogsworth pulled a blanket over their injured Master; Mrs. Potts instructed the others as they all tended his wounds.

All night long they attended to him, some still wounded or weary themselves. However, not one of them left his side; even little Chip insisted on helping as much as possible. In the morning, his breathing was still just as laboured, and he struggled to turn his head toward the symbol of his curse as he watched the last petal clinging only tenuously to its stem. He closed his eyes with a groan, accepting his fate.

"There's still hope, Sir," Mrs. Potts encouraged quietly.

"She's right, Master, that last petal is still attached."

"No," breathed out the Beast, gasping out in pain. "There's not." Then he looked up at all the people who surrounded him, who hadn't left his side once, not only during the night, but ever. And, for the very first time, he _saw._

"Bring- bring it to me," he strained, desperately reaching a paw toward the rose. Lumière stopped him, letting Cogsworth bring it over. He held it out for his master, who grunted as he shook his head. "No," he told him, swallowing as he struggled to explain. "It- it can't help me now," he held up a calming hand at the sorrowful refutations all around him. "You- you should hold it, Cogsworth." At this the little clock clutched the bottom of the stem to himself tightly, on the brink of tears. "Dutiful, sharp, responsible- you've always made sure everything gets done properly." Then the Beast looked toward his right hand man, "Or you, Lumière." The little candelabra touched it right above the clock's hands, breath stuttering in his grief. "Compassionate, witty, wise- you've run this castle better than I ever could, and treat everyone who comes in as people, not prisoners." He turned exhausted, grateful eyes to the stout teapot, whose eyes were brimming with tears, her nose nudging at the rose's stem hopefully. "Mrs. Potts- so stern and caring and responsible. You're the kindest person I've ever known, and…I would've been so lost without you."

The Beast had tears in his own eyes now, and every breath took great effort. He panted as he gazed up at them, not bothering to hide the moisture in his eyes. "Perhaps…" he groaned, smiling weakly at the servants around him, "perhaps it was better this way. In the end. I've caused you all so much trouble. Ruined your lives with my rage and pain and fear. I've treated you all so…_beastly._ Now, when you're free, you won't have to deal with monster I am anymore." Then his eyes closed, and his breathing grew softer.

"Oh, Master," cried Lumière, hugging the rose as well, "that's never who you've been to us."

"He's right, sir. You should know- we've always seen past all that."

"Quite right. Why, you always provide for us, even when we were changed."

"You fought so hard to defend us and our home from those encroachers! We know you only got so injured from keeping us safe from them!"

"And your first instinct when the rug caught on fire was to push us out of harm's way, protecting us from the disaster."

"You are passionate- it's why you have such a temper."

"And clever, even if that cleverness doesn't always go to good use."

"You're brave enough to face a strange enchantress and a skilled hunter when they come to our doorstep."

"And you were considerate enough to go rescue Belle from the forest, even though she'd disobeyed you."

"Don't you see, Master? We were never just _servants_…"

"And we didn't stay out of obligation or pity."

"Of course not. We stayed because, well-"

"We love you, sir. 'course we do. And we know you love us too- just got a bit lost for awhile there."

The beast nodded, a smile on his face, eyes still closed as a tear escaped his eye.

"I know. I know that now. And I hope you'll always- always remember just how much I did… love you my…friends."

Tears filled everyone's eyes as they watched their friend's close one last time, the last petal falling onto the large hand that softly covered theirs over the rose. Everyone sniffled in despair as they affectionately beheld their master, who only at the end realized he had always had the love he'd desperately sought.

Then suddenly, the flames of the fire started to glow with bright colours…


	17. Tale After Time

Gaston got to Belle's house early, smiling as she walked out the door.

"How is he?" he asked, practically giddy with excitement.

"He's... better. Keeps asking for his apprentice back."

"Ah, Lefou has missed him as well. He was wondering whether it'd be alright if he dropped by soon."

"But of course! He is always welcome here."

Gaston nodded, then looked at her inquisitively.

"So, are you still planning on going then? Back to the castle?"

"I just need to make sure they're alright. If things had been different... well, we did become friends, even if he didn't see it that way. And there's everyone else, of course..."

Gaston nodded understandingly. He really hadn't expected anything less from Belle. Hoped for it, perhaps, but not really expected it. It wasn't her nature to abandon those who needed her.

"And then what?"

"Well... then I think I'd like to explore my options."

They walked through the town, people waving at both of them as they went, and Belle waved back, greeting everyone by name.

"Okay. That makes sense. Make some of your dreams come true."

She smiled at that, looking up at him.

"And what about you, Gaston? Have you been able to imagine a different life for yourself?"

He chuckled.

"Oh, I like my life just fine now. Waiting for the best possibilities to find me. Besides, I'm not very good at imagining without your help, remember?" Then he turned to her, an eager look in his eyes. "Belle- would you mind if I showed you something?"

She glanced up at him, a soft smile on her face at how he actually seemed to be waiting for her answer before he dragged her off this time.

"Of course, monsieur."

He held out an arm to her, which she gently took. Then he led her to the front of the little cottage he had built all those months ago.

"Gaston?"

He stopped, grinning brightly as he asked her to wait. Excitedly he removed the cover to a large object in front of the house.

"I built you this- a sturdy, reliable wagon. You know, for when you travel back. I know how scared you were, when it was just Philippe and you in the woods. This way, you and your father can go wherever you want. Find your best. Be safe. Live your adventure." She looked up at him, speechless and touched. Then he fumbled, not the usual overconfident, self-assured man she was used to seeing. He nervously took out a small, handcrafted book from behind his back, handing it to her. "And there's this. It's just a story I made up with lots of pictures. You don't have to imagine- I mean, it's so you can always remember the good times you did have here, when you're off in the world, finding whatever it is you're looking for. You were right Belle. Perhaps it is time you left this provincial life. To leave our small town and go see the world."

She looked up at him, shocked, before she shook her head in confusion, gazing toward the house he'd once offered her. He smiled, not wide and proud, just a small, simple smile. Then he shrugged at her unasked question.

"I'm not a disguised prince with an extraordinary life. I'm just... me. And me is all I'll ever have to offer you. But you deserve the best too, Belle. And I want you to go find it, wherever it is. And know- I see you, and I do love you, Belle. Near or far, you are loved for who you truly are."

A few days later, after he had helped her load the wagon, he gently reached out a hand to her, waiting for her permission, before she wrapped her arms around him in a farewell hug.


	18. No Longer Nearsighted

For three months, Belle stayed at the castle, helping the inhabitants rebuild and rearrange their lives. But it was a wonderful struggle. The man once called a Beast had accepted the unconditional love of those around him, learning to bestow it in equal measures as well, successfully breaking the spell. The now handsome, humble, and human Prince Adam was as loving and happy with his friends as with the strangers who chanced upon his home. With Belle's help, he began to make a full recovery, and to restructure the workings of the castle so he oversaw everything as a leader, not a master. When help was needed by one of his friends, he was the first to volunteer a helping hand or listening ear, and they were all helping him learn proper manners and etiquette for when visitors came to call. And call they would, for the former Beast wasn't the only one who had changed.

The young enchantress had returned at last to see the results of her spell, and so impressed was she by Prince Adam's hospitality and kindness that she remained there as a guest. She placed a blessing on the castle and much of the forest around it, transforming the surrounding terrifying forest it into beautiful gardens, with safe paths leading to the village and local towns, lined with sweet-smelling (and somewhat familiar) roses.

In an effort to make amends, there had been correspondences, letters and gifts from the castle back to the town. Eventually, with the assurance of Belle through Maurice, there even was an offering of peace and forgiveness between the inhabitants of the castle and the little village. Having seen the effects of long-held pride, anger, selfishness, and bitterness, Gaston convinced the residents to pursue the offered peace. Taking the first tentative steps toward this process, the baker sent his boy with bread and sweet rolls to the hospitable prince's castle. He returned happily a couple of days later accompanied with his new-found friend Chip.

Among the correspondences came letters from Belle addressed to Gaston. They made him feel like she was really there with him, and he found he could..._imagine_ her sitting next to him, talking to him as they'd done in the castle. Along with a letter one day she also sent him a very surprising gift, which he accepted happily. And so it was he would smile to himself as he ate dinner by the fire at the end of the day, reading about Belle and her work, reaching down to pet the small new pair of puppies nipping at his feet.

Weeks after the peace between the town and castle, there was a grand festival held in the village to celebrate the successful invention of..._genius _old Maurice's music-making machine, and everyone from the castle was invited. Gaston smiled as he shook actual hands with the Cogsworth, Lumière_, _Mrs. Potts_, _Chip, and the other guests who'd responded to the invitation. After a few rounds of dancing, jokes, and all-around merriment, Gaston finally pulled the tall skinny man aside.

"How is she?" he asked.

Lumière simply smiled up at him, then nodded with his head toward the forest.

"I think you should ask her yourself, monsieur." Gaston looked up, seeing Belle riding toward him on Philippe, his wagon trailing behind. His mouth gaped as he took in her beauty for the first time in months. Suddenly, he felt a small nudge from the man at his side. "It is not polite to keep such lovely company waiting," and with that Gaston stepped forward, offering Belle his hand to dismount.

Belle looked a vision to Gaston, as she always had. She smiled as he helped her down, accepting his offer to take a walk on a quiet path near the town.

"So...the prince wanted to thank you for all you've done these last few months- for helping him fix things with the villagers. And also for stopping him that night- with the rug," she specified. "No one had ever stood up to him like that before."

"Well, it wasn't really him I was worried about, but I just told him what I saw," Gaston admitted, neither bringing up the _other_ night he'd "stood up" to the prince.

Belle stared at him, seeing his slicked back hair and clean suit and how he stood with his head held high. And she realized it wasn't pride that made him seem so arrogant. It was self-assurance. He knew exactly who he was, and he never pretended otherwise. A small chuckle left her mouth, prompting him to look at her inquisitively.

"Adam wanted to show his thanks to you." She pulled out the enchanted mirror, holding it out to Gaston. "He thought he'd offer you this. You know, in case you wanted to see... me. When I'm gone," she clarified, even as Gaston looked at her with a pained expression, before covering it and replacing it with a smirk as he took the proffered gift. "Like a real-time picture," she added softly.

Gaston smiled then nodded, resigned, before thanking her for the mirror.

"So, I guess this means you're going back on your hunt for your best, huh?" he asked with a humourless chuckle.

"Yes, I suppose it does," she said. "Though, recently I've spent quite a bit of time with someone who found what they'd always been looking for right in front of their eyes. And he warned me not to make his same mistakes."

Gaston looked up at her, very confused, before she grinned at him, lifting the object in his hand.

"You could keep this mirror with you and see in it all the great and magnificent places and wonders I might go off to see. Or, there's another option. If you can imagine it," she challenged, lowering the mirror and trying to meet his gaze.

He stared into her eyes, nodding his head eagerly.

"Belle- I can imagine anything when I'm with you," he assured her, all those months of her books and letters coming to mind.

"Well then... close your eyes, and imagine this. Wherever I go. However close or far. Adventures great or small. And... you, Gaston, right beside me."

His eyes still scrunched up, he tried his best to conjure up images as she spoke, until he processed her final words.

And then he smiled.


	19. Someone Who Understands

Prince Adam declared them husband and wife and laughed as everyone shouted happily in unison that Gaston truly deserved to _finally_ kiss his bride. And all their friends from the castle and the village cheered on the happy couple, the crowd surrounding their small cottage throwing rose petals and dandelions on them from every side.

In that moment, every dream Belle had seemed to come true. Gaston took his new wife's hands, motioning to Maurice, to start his wonderful machine up. Together, they led the first dance, followed by the Prince and the Enchantress, Maurice and Mrs. Potts, Lefou and Cogsworth each with a triplet, and everyone else as they joined in. Finally, it was time to bid farewell to everyone as they set off for a romantic trip to a distant town: a wedding gift from all their friends and loved ones.

And as they climbed into their wagon to go on the first of their many future adventures together, Gaston pulled his new bride close, face eager and excited as he asked, "Are we going to live happily ever after, _Madame_ Gaston?"

"Why, Monsieur Gaston," she responded with a coy grin, eyes bright and filled with possibility as she leaned in for a kiss, "hasn't anyone ever told you? That's just in fairy tales."

**_LA FIN_**


End file.
